


Guns and Kittens

by Rookmoon



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types
Genre: Alchemy, Alphonse Elric And Cats, Armor, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Hiding in Plain Sight, Hurt Edward Elric, Just Add Kittens, Minor Violence, Questions, Smooth Alphonse, forward Alphonse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2020-05-31 16:43:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19430005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookmoon/pseuds/Rookmoon
Summary: Alphonse enters you're life through the front door of your parents shop and takes you (and a box of kittens) by storm to save you from a shady group of people that had been chasing after him and his brother.Alphonse ends up taking you somewhere safe. The hospital room that belongs to his injured brother. After a two way questioning, you find that these boys aren't so bad. Maybe you'd even date one, after things go back to normal.





	Guns and Kittens

You never thought you'd see some guy in a giant suit of armor kneeling in front of a box inside your parents shop, but foot traffic outside is slowing down for a bit, and there he is. You can hear the kittens mewling inside, wanting to play as kittens do. The armored man picks one up and lifts it into the air. He takes the tail end of the tassel on his helmet and let's the kitten bat at it with its tiny paws. In all, it's an adorable sight, and not one that you're likely to see again in a long time.

You come closer. You have food for the little ones after all, and they must know your coming if the ruckus they kick up is anything to go by.

The guy in the suit looks over, and you've got half a mind to panic. If there wasn't a kitten batting at his face plate from his hands, you would've called him intimidating. He still cuts an imposing figure, but then he sees you and speaks. That's enough to shatter the whole illusion.

"Hi there. Are these your kittens?"

His voice sounds much too young to fit someone that big. He sets the kitten on his head, and it goes for the base of the tassel.

"No, not really. They were left here a couple of months ago. I'm supposed to take care of them while their owner is away." You empty the tin of cat food into a bowl. The bowl goes into the box, and the kittens climb over on another to get to it. "Who are you? I've never seen anyone walking around here in full armor."

"You've seen people with half a suit of armor?" The helmet tilts to the side. "I think that would be fun to see."

You laugh. The man (boy?) tilts his head forward just a bit. If you could see his face, you'd swear he'd be smiling. You'd bet he's handsome. Wait, he's a stranger. You don't even know his name! How can you think he's cute if you have no idea what he looks like?! He could still be way older than you!

"I'm Alphonse. What's your name?"

You tell him, and he stands to shake your hand. Well, now you know his name.

The cat on his head slips, and he's got tiny feet padding at his eyes. You laugh as he picks it up gently and cradles it in his hands.

"How old are these little ones?" His voice is so soft. It's a little jarring to hear it, but it's so sweet.

"They're a few months old. Old enough to act like the infants they are." You reach up to scratch the cat under the chin. It's tiny purrs make it's head shake. "They're a cute bunch, that's for sure."

You take a glance up at Alphonse. It seems like he might have been looking at you. It's hard to be sure with the ball of fluff in his hands and the shadow of his helmet, but you've still got the feeling that he was looking right at you.

"Yeah. They're adorable." Alphonse watches the kitten slump over in his hands for a nap. He sits down, carefully putting the kitten back in the box. A few others take the chance to attack his glove, and he chuckles at them.

You sit down beside him, teasing another kitten with wiggling fingers when he speaks up again.

"Hey, do you think-"

"There he is! The Fullmetal Alchemist! He's the one we've been looking for!"

You look up to see a band of men with rather large guns pour into the shop.

Alphonse slowly wiggles his glove free from kitten claws, stands up, and moves between you and the newcomers.

You poke your head around his bulk. "Is there any way you gentlemen can take this outside?"

One of the men spits in your direction.

"I'll take that as a 'no' then."

"Is there a back door?" Alphonse asks. He's still watching the men carefully, but you know the question was for you.

"Yeah. It's behind the door on your right."

"Ok. Get the kittens, and go out that door. I'll meet you outside."

A gunshot blasts a hole in the counter.

Alphonse looks toward the smoking gun as you flinch hard. The part of your mind that isn't screaming wonders why he reacts to bullets that way. The panicked part just wants you to Get The Hell Out.

He mutters to himself, "Ok, this is happening." Then he turns and looks you in the eye. "I'm really sorry about this!"

He picks you up, as well as the box of kittens and sprints toward the back door. He makes it past the door and the two of you are heading into the alleyway. Somehow, you had managed to avoid getting shot. Alphonse hasn't been quite so lucky, but it seemed like he's fine. Benefits to wearing armor. You look up at Alphonse, who is muttering to himself.

"Oh no. Why did it have to be now?"

"Wait, you know those guys?"

"They've been chasing my brother and I around town for the past few days. I thought they had given up, but it looks like I was wrong."

Alphonse rounds a corner, and takes a glance behind him. He turns towards you.

"I know this sounds weird, but I need my hands to defend us. Would you please climb into my armor?"

"Are you crazy?!"

A shot rings out over the brick walls. You duck, even though there's not really anywhere to hide.

Except for the one place you don't feel like going at the moment. There's no way there's enough room in there for you and Alphonse and the cats in that one suit of armor. You would think that only Alphonse would fit in there, but it seems like he's got other plans.

"There's plenty of room. I just need you to keep quiet and look after the kittens. I swear, you can come out as soon as it's safe."

Another gunshot fires. A bit of brick close by shatters. Better awkwardness than death.

Alphonse removes his breastplate and you climb into the empty space inside. All you can think of is the box of kittens in your arms, and the fact that he's completely hollow. That means you're sitting in a walking, talking suit of armor that was running away from a gang of crazy people.

In your head, it sounds insane. Because it is.

"There he is!" One of the goons shout.

Footsteps approach Alphonse. You feel him shift into a fighting stance.

"Where'd your girlfriend run off to, Alchemist? We've got something for her as well." A gun cocks, and you know exactly what they have planned for you if you're caught.

"You're not getting anywhere near her!" He pauses. "And she's not my girlfriend!"

"Really? That sounds an awful lot like a lie to me. Seems like you're pretty chummy, picking her up like that."

Something outside of your little space thunks against Alphonse's armor. The world spins a bit, and you hear one of the men shout. You think it's the one that called Alphonse a liar, but you can't be sure.

The armor moves again, shifting as if there was someone controlling it from the inside. Part of you realizes that the reason why is because Alphonse is fighting.

"Don't worry. I've dealt with worse than these guys before. It'll be over soon." He tells you. The confidence in his voice is reassuring. It sounds like he's determined. It echoes in his chest and reverberates in yours. You're glad for both of those things. It feels like a lot like safety.

Another shot goes off, and the bullet pings off of the armor. You curl up a little tighter around the box. The kittens mewl, startled and helpless. You feel exactly the same way.

You hear Alphonse say something about ricochet as bullets rain down upon him. You hear two of the men shout. It seems like their own bullets had hit them instead of their intended target.

"Oh well. I did warn you. Now, I've gotta finish up here. My brother is expecting me."

The fight goes on for another few minutes. After groans of the defeated sound outside of Alphonse's suit, you feel him walk away.

"You're safe now. They're all taken care of."

You sit for another moment, thinking about where to start in all this. You go with "where are we going now?"

You can hear a chatting crowd coming closer. If you had to guess, you'd say you were about in the town square.

"Somewhere safe. If it's alright, I can answer all of your questions there. It's just that I really do need to find my brother, and I don't think we'd want to be overheard here."

After something like that, you'd be willing to stay with this strange person for a little longer. Curiosity burns in your mind. You would really appreciate some answers.

Alphonse clanks his way through the streets, and opens a door. You stand to take a peek through his helmet and see that you have no idea where you are. Everything looks very clean.

You get the feeling that you really shouldn't be here right now.

"Alphonse? Where are we going?"

"Shh. The Colonel's coming."

"That doesn't explain anything!" You hiss quietly.

Alphonse sighs, but doesn't say anything else. Maybe this Colonel is someone you'd rather not know about you being here… Wherever here is.

One of the kittens mewls. You pick it up, but it doesn't stop.

Alphonse stops. "Hello Colonel Mustang. It's a wonderful day, isn't it?"

"Yes. It really is."

The stubborn kitten meows again, louder.

"Did you just meow, Alphonse?"

"Uh, uh… Yes sir, er no sir. I found a kitten and I couldn't just leave it in the alley. I couldn't find it's mother, so I thought… maybe I could keep it."

The Colonel chuckles. "Just make sure it's well taken care of."

"Yes sir." Alphonse nods, and you hear the Colonel walking away.

Alphonse rounds a corner, and opens a door.

"Brother, I'm back."

"Hey Al! How was the outside world?"

"Not as quiet as I'd like it to be."

"Oh yeah? What happened? Did you save any girls from death by books again?"

"Ehhh, not exactly…"

A moment passes in silence before Alphonse whispers your name, even though you're certain that his brother can still hear him. "You can come out now. It's safe here."

He strips you of any real choice in the matter when he removes his breastplate, leaving you curled around a box of cats staring at some blond boy covered in bandages, sitting in a hospital bed.

The boy blinks, and throws his arms around like he's fending off an attack as his jaw hits the floor. Judging by his shock, you'd say this doesn't happen often.

"So… this weirdo is your little brother?"

And just like that, the boy snaps out of it.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BAZAAR LITTLE SHRIMP?! AT LEAST I'M NOT THE ONE HIDING IN ARMOR THAT DOESN'T EVEN BELONG TO ME!" The boy gnashes his teeth and Alphonse sighs.

"This is my older brother, Edward." He gestures at the boy who looks to be around your age with a gloved hand. Edward realizes that he's being introduced and tries  _ way _ too hard to look like he wasn't totally overreacting right there. Heroic stance and all.

It's about now that you remember that you're still half hiding behind the protective metal mesh inside of Alphonse's armor. You carefully step out, and take in the rest of the room. The box comes out with you, and you find that the kittens inside are just fine.

Once Edward realizes that the box is full of cats, he makes a face, but doesn't really do anything when Alphonse picks up one of the kittens.

"So… can I ask questions now?"

"Sure. Ask away." Alphonse is almost completely distracted with the cats.

Edward looks at his brother. "She has questions? Who am I kidding, of course she has questions." He looks at you with a sharp nod. "We'll answer your questions if you answer ours. Equivalent exchange in all things."

"Why is Alphonse just a suit of armor?"

"Err, training accident." Edward shrugs.

"He's completely empty!"

"I'm not entirely empty. I still have my soul, but this is from our greatest mistake as alchemists. Now all we want is to get our normal selves back." Alphonse straps his chest plate back where it belongs.

"Who were those guys in the alley?"

"They were some people after my brother. People are always getting us mixed up at first."

"You ran into another one?" Edward's eyes slide toward his brother.

Alphonse nods. "That's the third gang this week. You're lucky people think of me when they hear your title."

"Yeah, sure. I'm so lucky."

"Uh…" you're not sure if you sold interrupt, but it seems like the both of them could go on like this for hours.

"Oh yeah, was that all your questions?" Ed shifts so he can put his feet on the ground. That's when you see that one of them is metal, just like his arm.

"What happened to your arm?"

"Training accident."

"And your leg?"

"Same thing."

"That sounds like it might be legit."

Edward gives you a practiced 'older brother' look. You continue with the questions. Now that the big ones are out of the way, it would be nice to get to know them a little better.

"How old are you guys?"

"I'm fifteen, and my brother is sixteen." Alphonse shifts towards you, and picks another kitten out of the box. You could imagine him smiling shyly, if the way he's fiddling with the kittens paw is anything to go by.

"Can we ask you questions now?" Alphonse sounds really happy at the thought of returning the favor. If he didn't generally act like a big friendly dog, (or if it was his sulky brother that asked) you might have been a little nervous, but no. It was the cinnamon roll, so it's fine.

"Sure. Go ahead."

"How old are you?" Alphonse looks up.

"I'm fifteen next month."

"How did you end up with a box of kittens?"

"It's not an interesting story."

Both boys lean in. Edward has an eager look on his face, and you get the feeling that Alphonse would look the same way if he had the means to do it. You sigh. Story time it is, then.

"The mom of these kittens was a parting gift from an old friend of mine. His parents had to move, and he left his cat in my care. She ended up having kittens a couple of months ago, but then she disappeared. I have no idea where she went, but the kittens were just there. I couldn't leave them, so I'm taking care of them for her. As far as I know, that's not normal cat behavior, but that's how I ended up with a bunch of clumsy feline toddlers."

"Man, and here I thought that would be at pay a little bit entertaining." Edward leans back on his bed.

"I told you it wouldn't be interesting!" You're itching to throw something at him, but all you've got is a box of cats, and you can't throw them. Alphonse must be thinking the same thing, because he chucks his head at his brother. "How dare you, brother! Any story involving cats is worth listening to! It doesn't matter if it's entertaining or not."

The helmet bounces off of the pillows beside Edward and you can't do much to hide your snickering. Alphonse's head falls to the floor and rolls toward you.

Alphonse body slumps over, disappointed.

"I know you weren't actually trying to hit me, but come on, Al. You can do better than that."

"You're lucky I don't, with the condition you're in."

Edward just laughs. It's not long before you and Alphonse are laughing with him. You're not sure what's so funny, but it feels so good to laugh. You pass the helmet back to Alphonse, and he sets it back in place.

Someone knocks on the door, and before you can hide, you see the Colonel from earlier. He blinks at you before he turns towards the brothers. "Fullmetal, I have an assignment for whenever you get bored."

The door closes behind him, and the laughter dies.

"You get homework here?"

"Not really. My brother is a state Alchemist."

You choke on a bit of spit. When you're finished coughing up a lung, you look at the blond boy. "He's a what?!"

"Yup. You're looking at the youngest state Alchemist ever. Right here." Edward jabs a thumb toward himself.

He's trying to be cool. You don't want to tell him how cool you really think that is. If your impression of him is anything to go by, his ego would inflate exponentially.

"We're both trained in alchemy. There are always things we could work on, but what we can do now is still impressive." Alphonse seems to give his brother a look, and Edward just smiles at his younger brother.

"Of course." Edward stands and stretches. "I think I'm gonna go find out what that assignment was from the Colonel. I'll be back later." Everything opens the door and looks back at the two of you with a sneaky smile. "Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone."

The door closes before you realize what he said, and by the time you do, Edward is long gone.

You close the door and go back to sit with Alphonse and the kittens. "Is he always like this?"

"Sometimes. Not always." Alphonse shifts. "He likes poking fun when he can. Besides, if I were in his shoes, I'd do the same thing."

"I'm not sure I understand, Alphonse."

He sighs, and shakes his head. "You're pretty oblivious, aren't you."

"I mean, you're not the first person to say that to me, but why bring it up?"

"Because I enjoy your company, and when I'm back to normal, I'd like to take you on a date."

You blink at him, stunned. You've known him for all of a few hours and he's asking you out.

"There's no way you mean that."

"I can't exactly prove it to you right now, but I can make you a promise." He gently takes one of your hands. "Once I get my body back, I'll come and take you out on a date that you'll never forget. I promise." Alphonse let's go of you to grab something.

He presses something cool to your palm. When you look at it, you see a silver pen.

Alphonse claps his hands together and touches the pen. It melts in your hands, and turns into a gleaming rose.

You look up at him. "If there's anything I can do, I'll help you get back to normal."

And that marks the start of a whole new chapter of your life. Mostly, you spent your time writing letters to Alphonse (since he told you that there wasn't much you could do aside from keep an eye out for information), and worrying about those troublesome boys and the danger that they face while you wait for him to fulfill his promise. You get to know him and his brother better in the meantime, and it got to the point where you could hardly wait for another letter from him.

You almost didn't realize how much you were growing to care about the younger Elric, but part of you always knew.

One day, a few years later, you would hear a knock on your door and find an old friend in a new body waiting for you. He'd pick you up, and kiss you the way he had always wanted to.

For the both of you, it was worth the wait.


End file.
